Tornado hits Denver airport, but no damage reported

The funnel cloud approached Denver International Airport from the south, not unlike a commercial airliner.

But thankfully, the tornado hit right between the two runways on the airport's east side and did not cause any damage.

"It's really lucky that it didn't hit the parking area or concourse," National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Fredin said.

The twister, which was caught on camera, looked menacing, but everything returned to normal shortly afterward, airport officials said.

San Diego resident Brad York was at the Denver airport when the tornado touched down.

"It's crazy, the skies are now blue again," York said in a CNN iReport. "We were in the admirals club on the top level of the airport when the announcement began. We continued to work on our computers when they made us evacuate. ...The TSA officer told us to put our bags out of the way in case we needed to run. He showed us where to run if needed."

Wisconsin resident Jim Jorstad was also traveling at the time. Airport sirens wailed, and his iPhone buzzed to alert him that a tornado was in effect.

"When you hear about tornado warnings on the news, you don't typically get a true sense of what it's like," Jorstad said in a CNN iReport. "It's when you experience a tornado firsthand that you get a much clearer perspective."

The tornado went right over a piece of weather observation equipment at the airport known as the Automated Surface Observing System. The equipment clocked the twister at 97 mph, Fredin said.